A Wintery Wish
by Celelorien
Summary: InuKag. and now with MirSan too! starts as a blanket scenario. everyone's favorite shard hunters are beset by winter, and heated romance seems to thrive on the cold weather!
1. Shard Hunting Waits For No Season

Okay guys, this is my first Inu-Yasha fic. Hope you like it! be gentle, but don't worry about giving me criticism. I can take it! ^_^;; just no flamies please.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A Wintery Wish  
  
Kagome poked her head out of the well in Inu-Yasha's time, and shivered   
at the change. It had only been mid forties or so in her time, but   
here it was freezing. She pulled herself up, almost overbalancing. A   
clawed hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling her roughly up and out of   
the well. "Geez, wench, think you've packed enough stuff?" Inu-Yasha   
asked, scowling slightly.  
  
"Well, Mom must have packed a few extra things for me. She does that   
sometimes and forgets to tell me. I swear I didn't pack so much!!" she   
protested, shifting the pack. She had left her bike in her time,   
figuring that if it snowed here like it was predicted to at home a bike   
would just be extra useless weight.  
  
"Whatever, now come on. Sango and Miroku are waiting on us. Shippou's   
probably asleep, the little furball," he said, and bent down. "They   
set up camp a few miles from here, so you'll have to ride if we want to   
make good time. Kaede-baba's expecting snow soon. Feh!" Kagome   
climbed on board, and Inu-Yasha sprang off, grumbling under his breath about   
her tendency to overpack. After about forty minutes, the sun had begun   
to set.  
  
"Inu-Yasha, what did you mean by a 'few' miles?" Kagome asked,   
wondering how it could possibly take this long for someone who could travel a   
football field in three bounds or less.  
  
"About twenty," the hanyou replied, shifting positions. "Did I ever   
tell you how heavy your stupid pack was?"  
  
"Twenty?!" Kagome exclaimed. "Ugh, Inu-Yasha you are impossible!! YOU   
may have demonic strength but certain other people don't, and I dislike   
traveling so far in one go. Can we please make camp for the night?   
Pleaase?" Inu-Yasha sighed; he hated it when she used that tone and knew   
if he dared look she'd have puppy eyes trained on him full blast. He   
was getting tired anyway; that pack really WAS overloaded.  
  
"Fine, fine, but only because you're a weak human who needs to rest,"   
he replied, landing softly and crouching to allow her off. She poked   
through her pack and discovered a thick blanket. Sighing gratefully and   
silently thanking the gods that she had such a thoughtful mother, she   
unfolded it and curled up to sleep. Inu-Yasha had already perched in a   
tree above her. Faintly she heard him say, "Feh!" as he folded his   
arms and turned his face away from her. She smiled slightly; same old   
impossible Inu-Yasha. Looking up at the sky, she saw a shooting star   
flash by and gasped. Silently she made her wish and drifted off to sleep   
with a smile.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next morning she awoke when she felt something wet on her cheek.   
Opening her eyes, she saw a gentle snow beginning to fall. "Inu-Yasha,   
look, it's snowing!" she cheered, shaking off her blanket and refolding   
it. The hanyou gave a start, and almost fell out of the tree.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, wet white flakes falling from the sky. That's not all   
that peculiar in winter, you know," he said waspishly. "Ready to go? We   
can have breakfast when we get there; we've made them wait long   
enough."  
  
"I'll make Ramen," Kagome said sneakily, knowing that it would get him   
to stay.  
  
"Ramen?"  
  
"Ramen."  
  
"I suppose a quick breakfast won't hurt," he said, sitting down to wait   
for the Ramen, smiling.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
"Sango, Shippou, come on, we've got to find a town," Miroku said,   
waking them both up. A centimeter of snow lay on them, and they sneezed as   
they woke up. "Come on, there's one really close to here. But we have   
to hurry; I fear that a full-blown blizzard is coming," he said   
urgently, studying the sky. Sango got up to stand beside him.  
  
"It's blowing up fast. You're right, let's go," she said, picking up a   
still-drowsy Shippou. She tensed as she felt Miroku's hand sneak   
around to her backside... "HENTAI!" she yelled, thwapping him upside the   
head. Nothing too hard, as he needed to be able to walk. "Get the   
blankets and let's go," she fumed, stalking off towards the town. Miroku   
simply grinned, then gathered up the blankets and followed. They knew   
Inu-Yasha could take care of himself, and Kagome too.  
  
"It's getting awfully cold," Kagome said, her teeth beginning to   
chatter. Inu-Yasha had insisted they walk for a bit so that she didn't get   
sick on him when they traveled. She had a long skirt on rather than her   
usual short one, but her legs were still freezing.  
  
"Shoulda brought pants," Inu-Yasha huffed. They'd wasted enough time   
already. He shouldn't have given in to her breakfast request, but it   
was Ramen... No use worrying about that now, though. The snowfall had   
begun to increase as well, becoming a thick downpour rather than a gentle   
flurry. Fortunately there wasn't any wind to blow it around. Yet. As   
if sensing his pessimistic approach, a breeze began to blow, getting   
slightly stronger.  
  
Kagome merely sighed; it was just so cold... Fleetingly she wondered if   
her mother had put pants in her pack, but there wasn't any way   
Inu-Yasha would stop and let her check. She shivered against the wind and   
wished melting snow wasn't quite so wet. She was getting soaked to the   
bone.  
  
Inu-Yasha pressed on. Being half-demon, he wasn't quite as affected as   
Kagome by the freezing temperatures and biting wind. Sticking his arms   
in the sleeves of his haori, he turned to check on Kagome's progress.   
She trudged along, shivering and chattering. He sighed; she was so   
fragile. It wasn't fair.  
  
Kagome felt the weight on her back lifting slightly. "Want me to take   
that?" Inu-Yasha asked gruffly, his bangs hiding his eyes. She smiled   
gratefully at him and nodded. Hefting it onto his own back, he   
continued on. Kagome realized a slight mistake in that; it felt much better   
to have it off but now it was no longer protecting her back. 'Oh well,   
can't have everything, can I?' she thought.  
  
They kept walking for what seemed like hours upon hours to Kagome. She   
was freezing cold, but she didn't want to say anything to Inu-Yasha.   
He wouldn't want to stop. He never did. Funny that. He would only   
ever stop if she wanted him to really badly. She smiled briefly. She   
felt so numb, it was like she wasn't even in her own body any more. She   
was on automatic, trudging through the snow without even thinking about   
it.  
  
Inu-Yasha turned to check on her again; she'd been entirely too quiet.   
"Kagome, if you want you can ride now," he said, beginning to get   
concerned. She didn't answer, just kept pushing towards him. "Kagome? Did   
you hear me?" he asked, puzzled. She bumped against him, then looked   
up at him and smiled faintly. Inu-Yasha gasped; her eyes seemed so   
empty!  
  
"Oh hi, Inu-Yasha," she said dreamily. "Inu-Yasha, what a funny name.   
Oh what pretty ears you have!" She seemed delirious. He put a hand to   
her face and jerked away in shock. She was ice cold. "Oh my, I think   
my legs are gone," she said in wonder, then collapsed.  
  
"Kagome!!" he yelped, pulling her to her feet. She was unconscious,   
and her mouth was tinged with blue. "Got to find some shelter," he   
muttered to himself, sweeping her up bridal-style as he bounded off to find   
somewhere to stay. "Don't you dare die on me," he said gruffly,   
keeping his voice low so it wouldn't crack. Even if she was unconscious he   
didn't want her to hear him. Finally he found a hut, old and creaky but   
leak-free and dry. Almost panicky, he felt for a pulse. Still there,   
but very faint, and her breathing was far too shallow. Frantically, he   
dumped the contents of her pack on the floor. A picture in one of her   
spellbooks caught his attention. The person was blue around the lips   
and fingers, just like Kagome. He read it, hoping it would provide   
instructions. He'd never seen a blue human before.  
  
"Hypothermia," he read aloud, the strange word rolling around his   
mouth. "Get the victim to a safe dry place. Remove all wet clothing and   
provide as much heat as possible. Wait a minute... remove...!!" He   
blushed furiously, but knew the spellbook was right. Kagome would freeze   
to death if he didn't do something. Scratching through the rest of the   
junk, he found her blanket. Turning to Kagome, he hesitated slightly.   
He could practically feel the 'sit's coming. "The book told me to, the   
book told me to," he chanted, stripping Kagome quickly. He wrapped her   
in the blanket, and started a cheery fire with firewood left in the   
little hut. The hard packed earthen floor wouldn't burn. After banking   
up the fire high, he then turned back to the book. "Body heat is   
usually the fastest and best way to heat up a victim." Sighing and knowing   
he was toast when she woke up, he pulled her limp form into his lap,   
taking off his overshirt and wrapping her in it. Curling around her, he   
chanted softly to himself. "The book told me to, the book told me to,   
the book..." Hopefully she would hear it when she woke up. If she woke   
up. He shuddered, and not from the cold. The blank look in her eyes   
had frightened him more than a hundred demons all at once. "Don't leave   
me, Kagome," he whispered, hugging her closer. "I love you." He felt   
better to have admitted it to himself. Still chanting his monotonous   
litany, he drifted into a half-sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kagome woke slowly, like she was dragging her conscious mind out of   
molasses. The first thing she noticed was that she felt rather warm -   
almost cozily so. The second was a breathy whisper that kept saying   
something about a book right in her ear. Opening her eyes as she became   
fully conscious, she stiffened. "The book told me to," the voice mumbled,   
once she was awake enough to understand it. She was covered only in   
Inu-Yasha's haori overshirt and her thick blanket; her wet clothes were   
spread out to dry by a dying fire. Also wrapped around her was the   
hanyou himself and only his mysterious chant kept her from yelling 'sit'   
about a hundred times. Looking around from the warm cover (she had to   
admit it was kind of nice) she saw her Biology book lying open to the   
page marked "Hypothermia." She gasped, and Inu-Yasha stirred. Had she   
really almost died?  
  
"Kagome?" Inu-Yasha whispered, his voice raspy and rough. He turned   
her around to face him and stared into her eyes for a moment. The normal   
calm brown of her eyes reassured him, made him almost giddy with   
relief. She in turn found herself melting under the warm yellow-gold gaze,   
shadowed with concern and something else. She had no time to speak   
before she was enveloped in a fierce hug. "Oh Kagome, I thought I'd lost   
you," he whispered painfully, a sob catching in his throat. He pushed   
her back, holding her by her shoulders at arm's length, just staring   
into her eyes for a minute, reaffirming that her soul was there and she   
wasn't a zombie anymore.  
  
Kagome blinked in surprise; tears were threatening to spill over in the   
hanyou's eyes. Putting a finger to his cheek, she caught it as it   
spilled over. "Why... why are you crying?" she asked, blinking at the   
salty liquid on her hand then gazing at Inu-Yasha. He put a hand to her   
face, delicately tracing her jawline, his eyes softening. He leaned   
forward, and kissed her. It was not the usual Inu-Yasha roughness either;   
the kiss was gentle, chaste, even shy. He drew her into his lap once   
more, using such gentleness it was almost hard to believe this was still   
Inu-Yasha.  
  
"Kagome... I love you," he whispered into her ear, and hugged her as he   
lay his head on her shoulder. Kagome was astounded for a few moments,   
then smiled as she blushed faintly.  
  
"I love you too, Inu-Yasha," she said softly, leaning into his warm   
embrace. They stayed that way for a while, listening to the silence only   
broken by the whistling of the wind outside and the crackling of the   
fire. Kagome smiled; her wish had come true.  
  
Fin. 


	2. Reader poll! GIMME FEEDBACK!

hey! reader poll here! (sorry this is so lame, but i need ta know!!) would you guys like me to continue this story? say pick up with Miroku and Sango and Shippou? maybe turn it into a full fledged fic? Tis an important question, ah gots to know what you want!! the reader is always right! sort of... uhhh... yeah. So vote!  
  
YES!! write more or i shall eat your souuuuul....  
Maybe... the fic is ok, continuing is ok, soul toast is yummy... but i dunno.  
NO!! for the love of TOAST don't do it!! 


	3. And Now For The Other Half Of The Group!

all righty reety rooty! (wth did i just say?!) *cough* ANYWAY. KAMI-SAMA on the votes!! it seems the overwhelming majority (actually all of you) who've reviewed want it to continue, needless to say, i have decided to continue mah story as they have all been emphatic EAT YOUR SOUL IF YOU NO CONTINUE!!s. except that you're right, it's too Kikyo-esque. yeah. SO.. in the interests of anti-soul-eatifying (and the horror of causing anyone to become like KIKYO *shudder*), we will pick up the story from Miroku, Sango, and Shippo's points of view, as i'm suure you're all dying to find out what happens to them! bwahaha... not *quite* as good as chapter one, i think, cause i'm not too certain how to go about hooking them up... so it'll probably be longer. (yissss... this is indeed a Miroku/Sango entry... kawaii yo!!) So on with the story!! (we're going back in the story to the time Inu-Yasha left to collect Kagome)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The trio watched as the hanyou bounded off, soon passing out of the reach of their vision. They had camped in a little clearing overnight, a mile or two from a village. Inu-Yasha had refused to go to the village, declaring the people there stinky and loud. Sango sat down beside the low fire and fed it fuel until it was once more a cheery blaze and warmed her hands at it. The wind had taken on a decided chill. Miroku sat innocently beside her, leaning his staff against his shoulder and watching the fire. Sango stiffened, but when the monk made no move, she relaxed just a bit, releasing her hold on Hiraikotsu a touch. Miroku, being ever the opportunist, snuck his hand downwards...   
  
The morning calm was broken by a loud *WHACK!!* and a screech of "HENTAI!!". Shippo sighed and wondered what he had done to get stuck with them for the whole day. Kirara looked up at him and mewed her strange chitter-mrr. "Yes, Kirara, I'm sure Miroku's fine. For some reason I don't think Sango hits him as hard as she could," the kitsune said, picking up a few more sticks for the fire. Small, like him, but at least he was helping. Kirara seemed to shrug, and picked up a branch as well. They headed back towards camp and added their contribution to the fire, ignoring the enraged taijiya furiously polishing Hiraikotsu on one side of the fire and the dazed houshi with a red slap mark on his cheek on the other. "Are we going to stay here to wait for them? After all, they might be a while and it's getting kind of cold," Shippo said, looking at the two hopefully.  
  
"Sounds fine to me, Shippo. At least it would give CERTAIN people something else to do with their hands," Sango said icily, glaring at Miroku. The monk sat up, rubbing his cheek.  
  
"Ah, the undeserved accusations," he sighed, pretending to look mortally wounded.  
  
"Undeserved?! I'll give you undeserved," Sango fumed, standing with Hiraikotsu at the ready.  
  
"Can we just break camp and not each other? We can't be hauling his dead weight around AND the camp gear. If you're so dead set on punishing him let's just make him our pack mule!" Shippo said exasperatedly. Sango smiled at the kitsune, and a very scary smile it was indeed.  
  
"That's an excellent idea, thank you Shippo!" the taijiya said, still smiling that scary smile. "After all, if he is strong enough to recover so quickly from Hiraikotsu, he can certainly carry a few measly blankets." Miroku sighed in relief. He was getting off fairly easy for once! ...or so he thought...  
  
...  
  
"Ouch! What did you put in there, rocks?!" he yelped as Sango slung a pack into his arms, nearly knocking him over.  
  
"Of course not! Just the blankets, the extra firewood, in case we need it you know, the food, and our clean water! A few extra things, too, but they're of no account," Sango said cheerily, shouldering Hiraikotsu. Sighing, Miroku followed her as she walked off, silently cursing the giant boomerang which obstructed his view of her rather nice bottom. Shippo and Kirara double checked to make certain the fire was out and everything was as it had been before following. Before long, evening was upon them, so they set up camp in another, smaller clearing. "Looks like snow," Sango remarked, gazing at the fluffy grey clouds. Miroku said nothing, too busy trying to unkink his back. Sango felt a little guilty, then shrugged it off. The houshi deserved it for being such a lech. Still... She shrugged it off and knelt by the fire, adding the wood she had made Miroku drag for so far. He sat across the fire from her, watching the fire rather than her. Shippo had already fallen asleep, curled up with Kirara nearby. Sango smiled as she looked at the pair. Kirara was older than she was, but she still looked a good deal like a kitten, and Shippo... Shippo was just cute. The pair of them together was sugary enough to induce cavaties. She took Hiraikotsu off her back, laying it gently to the side. The fire was warm, she was warm, and the night was nice, if a little nippy. Slowly, she felt herself slipping into sleep.  
  
Miroku, who had actually been watching Sango the entire time, smiled softly as she nodded off. Standing up, he went to her and gently laid her on her side. Picking up the blankets, he draped one around Shippo and Kirara. He rolled one up and put it under Sango's head as a pillow and covered her with a second. She mumbled something incoherent, then smiled slightly. Miroku's heart jumped a little at this, and he sat there, merely watching her for a moment. A loose piece of hair fell over her face, causing her to twitch slightly. Holding his breath for fear she would wake up and slap him, he gently brushed it back into place, marveling at the softness of her skin. Suddenly he yearned to kiss that soft cheek, to touch her lips with his, to have her say his name lovingly instead of just houshi-sama all the time. Hastily he scooted back, turning to attend to the fire and prevent himself from doing anything rash. He banked the fire up with slightly damp wood to let it burn slower and lay back by the warmth, taking a blanket for himself on the other side of the fire. Wistfully he thought of how it would be if he were on the opposite side, lying next to Sango's warm body, sharing a loose embrace... He shook the thoughts from his head, and glanced up at the sky. The clouds were thick, but there were patches of deep blue showing through the dark grey. A shooting star flew by, and remembering Kagome's stories, he closed his eyes and made a wish, hoping beyond hope it would come true.  
  
~~~~  
  
The next morning, Miroku was the first to awaken. The first thing he noticed was that it had gotten considerably colder. The next was that he was wet. He sat up abruptly, loosing a small flurry of snowflakes that had accumulated on his upper body. He stood up, and shook the blanket off, then checked on Sango. Her hair had mostly protected her from the snowflakes, but she was still covered in the white powder. Shippo and Kirara, too. "Sango, Shippo, wake up," he said shaking them. They came to slowly, yawning and blinking blearily at the world of white. "Sango, Shippo, come on, we've got to find a town," he repeated, shaking them again. They sneezed slightly at all the snow around their mouths, waking up finally. "Come on, there's one really close to here. But we have to hurry; I fear that a full-blown blizzard is coming." He stared at the sky, completely covered with grey clouds and spewing ever more of the wet whiteness onto them. Sango stood up, glanced at the sky, and nodded.  
  
"It's blowing up fast. You're right, let's go," she said, bending to pick up Shippo. Kirara mewed, and shook the offending flakes clinging to her silky fur. Miroku couldn't resist, she was bent over and everything... Slowly his hand moved towards her...  
  
*WHACK!* "HENTAI!" Sango yelled, having slapped him. She hadn't been able to put her full force behind it as she was carrying Shippo, but he could be punished again. "Gather the blankets and let's go," she said, still glaring daggers at him. Miroku smiled ruefully, and gathered up the wet blankets. Neither of them said anything as he trotted up to walk beside her, staff in one hand and blankets in the other. Neither of them had to. They knew Inu-Yasha and Kagome would be safe, and they needed to worry more about their own shelter than their comrades'.  
  
...  
  
The wind had picked up full force now, and the swirling snow came down so thick the sky was naught but a great white blur. "Come on you guys, just a little farther, I'm sure of it," Miroku called back to the two figures struggling along behind him. Sango had a blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders, and Kirara (in full demon form) was carrying Shippo. The little kitsune was trying to stay warm in Kirara's ruff, but the going was hard enough that she could not carry all of them. Miroku paused to let them catch up, his teeth chattering slightly. "Come on, Sango, you can do it," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist but surprisingly not groping her. Sango merely nodded. "I know the town is just a little ways away, and then we can rest," he said softly. She nodded again, keeping her head down against the wind.  
  
Finally the cold, weary, weather-beaten group came to a house on the outskirts of town. The owner, an old lady, ushered them in even before Miroku had to give his line about a dark cloud. There were so many hovering above anyway, spewing the icy whiteness, that they wouldn't have been able to refute it anyway. "Come in, come in, we'll get some hot tea for ye, poor dears, so cold, we'll help ye, aye," she said, pushing them all deeper inside. It was a fairly good sized house; it was obvious the old woman had once been the wife of a powerful lord who had left her the house. It seemed she was not quite all there upstairs, as she kept referring to we even though she was the only occupant, but she was certainly kind. "We'll fix ye some tea, yes yes, go get changed. Ye may use our rooms and our clothes, our husband's too. Change from the wet things." Upon seeing Shippo she smiled cheerily. "Oh, tis a wee lad, yes, we had a little child like him once, but he is grown and gone, but we have his clothes still, aye, yes." She wandered off in the direction of the kitchen, and the trio merely stared after her for a bit, wondering exactly what they were supposed to do. They split up, Sango took Shippo to try to find some suitable attire for them both and Miroku went to find his own clothes. They were in luck; the rooms held many spare outfits, some moth eaten or dusty, but wearable and dry. Miroku exchanged his normal clothes for dark green attire, and stepped out into the hallway again. Sango, wearing a blue kimono with darker blue flowers around the fringes and the sash, smiled at him wearily.  
  
"I found a small bathroom we can hang our wet things in to dry," she said. Shippo, in a dusky-red outfit, followed after her with his own wet clothes. They hung their clothes on poles on the walls, then followed their footprints back down the dusty hallway.  
  
The old lady poked her head around the corner, smiling at them. "Come, we have nice hot tea, nice hot tea for ye who are so cold! Ye've got a pretty kitty, such a pretty kitty she is," she added, reaching down to stroke Kirara. Apparently she either didn't notice or didn't care that Shippo and Kirara were youkai. They followed her to a surprisingly cheerful kitchen, sitting down as she served hot green tea all around. They sipped their tea in silence, grateful for the heat it brought to their hands and stomachs. The old lady petted Kirara absently, smiling at the cat youkai's funny chittering purr. "Is a cold night, yes, cold to be traveling. Ye will stay with us for tonight, yes? Yes?" she asked, looking between them hopefully.  
  
"I suppose we don't have a choice, there's no way we can go out in that again," Sango said, sighing.  
  
"Good, good, we like ye, we like having young couple in house, makes us feel young again... Ah, to be young and in love, eh? Ye better not wake me up," she said, grinning and winking at them. Miroku choked on his tea slightly, and Sango blushed a bright red. "Yes, yes, nice pair ye make, welcome to stay at our house," she continued, oblivious.  
  
"No, no, it isn't like that at all! We're just traveling companions," Sango spluttered.  
  
"Oh? Tis a shame, ye would fit so well together, aye, make us feel young again, we know ye like each other," she replied, still grinning at them shamelessly.  
  
"Oi.." Sango said, putting her head in her hands. Miroku merely smiled slightly, sipping his tea once more, but a faint pinkish tinge remained on his cheeks. They sat there in near silence, the only noises being that of the fire crackling and tea being sipped. Finally when Shippo fell asleep at the table, the old woman decided it was time for bed. She ushered them all out of the kitchens, telling them to just choose a room, and set about cleaning. She smiled to herself; the pair were so obviously in love it was almost visible, even to her aging sight. Maybe they would find themselves sometime. She hoped it was soon.  
  
~~~  
  
"Sango, in the interests of staying warm, would you like me to-"  
  
"No, you cannot sleep with me. Or even in the same room with me," Sango said with a glare. Miroku gave her a very hurt expression, though his face was still tinged pink.  
  
"I wasn't going to suggest it. I merely wished to know if you would like me to fetch some more blankets for your room, as I know where they are," he said, pretending to pout. Sango smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Sorry. And yes, that would be a big help, arigato," she said, shivering slightly. Miroku bowed slightly on his way out, and went to gather some blankets. Sango shivered again, and pulled the blanket more closely around her. Shippo had already fallen asleep at the end of the soft futon. Kirara was still with the old lady, being petted.  
  
Miroku returned, laden with thick fluffy blankets. He blinked, trying to clear his eyes. He was beginning to feel kind of dizzy. His legs buckled out from under him, and he collapsed onto the pile of blankets. Sango, watching, wondered what had happened. "Houshi-sama? Are you all right?" she asked tentatively. When she got no response, she went to his side and pulled him into a sitting position. "Houshi-sama?" she repeated. He was sweating! She put a hand to his forehead, then drew it back quickly in shock. "You're burning up! Why didn't you say something?" she demanded.  
  
"You.. you were cold," he replied weakly, opening his eyes just slightly to gaze at her. "Cold.. I'm so hot... so hot.." he mumbled, fainting again.  
  
"Kami-sama, I have to do something!" she said out loud, then wrapped her arms under his and around his chest. Funny, she had never noticed how very broad yet lean it was... She flushed slightly, grateful he was unconscious. She pulled him up to an almost standing position, wincing as she nearly overbalanced because of his weight. Slowly she dragged him over to her futon, laying him down gently. He tossed his head fretfully, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. She draped blankets on his limp form, wincing as he moaned softly. "You'll be alright, I promise," she said fervently. She pulled another blanket over herself, as she was still cold, and put her hand on his forehead to check his temperature. He stopped tossing when she did, and a tiny smile graced his lips. Sango took it off, curious, and he began to fret again. "I'll be right back," she whispered, and abandoned her nest of blankets to find some cool water and a rag. There was a basin in the bathroom she had found previously, and she filled it with cool water from a barrel. She placed a small cloth in the basin, and tiptoed back to her room. Pulling the blankets back over her head, she wrung out the cloth and placed it carefully on Miroku's forehead. He calmed down once again, and his eyes opened just a touch, clouded with pain and sickness. "You'll be okay," she reassured him.  
  
"Wh.. why're you... doing this?" he asked raspily, his voice a harsh whisper.  
  
"That's what friends do. They help each other," she replied, shifting a little.  
  
"And you're.. my friend? Sango?" he asked hesitantly, blinking. She blushed a little.  
  
"Of course you are, Houshi-sama," she replied.  
  
"Miroku," he said. "Can you call me... Miroku? Just once?"  
  
"I.. I suppose... Miroku," she said, blushing even more. He smiled faintly, and closed his eyes again.  
  
"Arigato," he whispered. "It sounds.. so nice when.. you say it. Again, please?" She had very rarely, if ever, heard him say please. He was sick, and she did owe it to him to help him feel better.  
  
"You're welcome, Miroku," she said, smiling. It actually felt rather nice in her mouth, so she tried it again. "Would you like some water... Miroku?" He smiled as she used his name again. Kami-sama, his heart was beating so irregularly he wondered if it was jumping rope.  
  
"Yes, please... Sango..." he replied, content. Even if he didn't recover, though he was sure he would because Sango had said so, he could have died happy then. Sango was smiling at him and even using his name. He felt a wet rag pass across his lips. Thirstily he licked them, trying to get all the moisture he could.  
  
"You can't drink too fast, or you'll get even sicker," she told him, soaking the rag again. "Open your mouth." Obediently the two lips parted, and she placed a corner of the rag on his tongue. Eagerly he sucked at it, thankful for the cool liquid. She tugged it free, and repeated the process twice more. "That's enough for now; we don't want you getting worse, do we?" she scolded when he pouted.  
  
"You're beginning to sound... like our hostess," he said amusedly. His throat was a lot less scratchy, but he still sounded hoarse.  
  
"Be nice, she's very kind to let us stay here. And by us I mean Sango, Shippo, and Miroku," she said, smiling anyway. "I'm sure she would have let Kirara stay either way, just to pet her." Miroku laughed, but it turned into a cough.  
  
"Can you.. put your hand... on my forehead?" he asked. "Your hands.. are cool.." She blushed slightly, but obliged. He sighed in relief as the heat in his temples lessened. "Arigato, Sango-san," he whispered, and dozed lightly, reassured by the soothing pressure of her hand.  
  
Sango smiled softly at the peaceful expression on his flushed face. "You're welcome, Miroku-san," she replied quietly. With her free hand she dipped the cloth back into the water and wrung it out. Gently she rubbed his cheeks with it, noting how the flush seemed to lessen when she passed over it with the cool dampness. Methodically she worked her way down his face and under his chin, then decided to move a little lower as he was still very warm. Carefully she bathed his neck with the cloth, occasionally pausing to wet it again. He sighed softly, and smiled slightly. She worked her way downwards, hesitating at the collarbone. His nose scrunched up slightly, as if wondering why she had stopped. He opened one eye at her halfway.  
  
"Why'd you... stop? Feels... good," he mumbled. "Can go lower... if you like... or other side..." He shut his eyes, still half-asleep. Blushing like there was no tomorrow, Sango undid his haori and undershirt. She paused for a moment, gazing in wonder at the lean, muscular chest that was normally covered by loose concealing robes. The moonlight glistened on his body, bathing it with a silvery glow. Without thinking, she traced her free hand down the middle of his chest and flat stomach to the sash of his pants. He shivered slightly and smiled. "Mmm.. Sango.." he whispered. "Tickles..." She grinned; she'd found his weak spot! Carefully she schooled her features into a more bland look and began to carefully rub down his chest. She couldn't quite keep the blush off her cheeks as she did so, however. When she finished, she gave one last quick look at the well-shaped torso, then redid his shirt and haori and pulled the blankets back to his chin. He sighed in contentment, and opened his eyes slightly. The pale, soft moon shone in the window and he idly wondered how late it was. The moon was nearly full, so there was light enough to see by. "Sango?" he asked softly.  
  
"Mm?" she replied, yawning a little.  
  
"Can I... can I have... some water?" he asked, focusing his eyes on the ceiling. She nodded, and dipped the cloth into the basin once more. She let a few drops fall onto his lips, and he opened his mouth. She smiled at the obedient, soft lips. Soft?? Where did that come from?! she wondered, blushing. He drank slowly, and smiled wistfully, his eyes turning sad.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sango asked, noting the change in expression.  
  
"Nandemo," he replied, closing his eyes.  
  
"No, really, tell me," she said, leaning over to stare at his eyelids as if to bore holes in them to make him tell the truth. He opened his eyes and gazed back at her steadily, the wistful look never leaving his face.  
  
"I wondered... I wondered.." he started hesitantly, then paused and looked away. "N..nevermind."  
  
"No nevermind, tell me! Tell me or I'll tickle you," she threatened playfully. He looked back at her, the sadness increasing, accompanied by... longing?  
  
"Will you... lie with me? Not.. not that way, just... lay by my side?" he asked, his eyes pleading with her. She was suddenly very glad her back was to the moonlight and he couldn't see her reddened face. "Please?" he whispered. Sango couldn't resist him when he said please.  
  
"Very well, Miroku... but no funny stuff!" she warned, still blushing. She climbed under the covers hesitantly. He turned on his side to accompany their two bodies. Slowly, tentatively, he slid his arm around her waist. She tensed slightly, but relaxed after a second or two. Miroku did not press his luck; he left a good few inches between their bodies. Still, he could smell her sweet scent now. Sometimes he wished for Inu-Yasha's sense of smell, just so he could scent her all the time. Her silky black hair spread out like ripples of the night sky on a moonless, starless night. He sighed softly, just breathing her minty-earth scent in. He was truly content now and began to fall into a dreamless sleep. Why should he dream, when everything was already so perfect? He smiled at the thought, and drifted off.  
  
Sango heard his breathing even out and slow, indicating he really was asleep this time. She sighed, and wondered if she should try to get out. As if sensing her intent, his arm drew her closer to him, wrapping her in a much firmer embrace. She froze as she pressed against him. And yet... it felt so right, the way they fit together so perfectly. Curled together like they were, his face was buried in her hair, and their hips fit together like pieces of a puzzle. She blushed at their proximity, but decided she rather liked it. He didn't smell bad, on the contrary, it was quite pleasant. Like cinnamon and spices. She decided that she liked being so close to him and relaxed fully. She, too, drifted into a peaceful sleep, comforted by the warmth of his arms and his body so close.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Morning sunshine danced on his face, playing across his eyes. He scowled slightly, and opened his eyes... to find Sango's head just inches below his chin. Sometime during the night she had twisted around so she was facing him. His arms were tightly wrapped around her waist. Her left arm was pressed up against his chest and her right arm sat lightly on his neck and jawbone. Her face was buried in his chest, and she seemed so at peace he didn't want to disturb her. So he didn't. He lay there quietly, just happy to be alive and right there, right then. He loosened his grip on her waist, stroking her beautiful hair gently. After a while, she began to stir slightly. "Mmmf.." she sighed, tightening her grip on him before relaxing again. "Miroku?" she asked sleepily, tilting her head up to gaze at him with half-open eyes.  
  
"Shh, Sango. Shippo's still asleep," he said, putting a finger to her lips, marveling at the softness. "Thank you, by the way, I feel much better now. You have very skilled hands." Sango blinked, trying to process the information. Blushing suddenly as she cleared her mind, she checked quickly to be certain they were both still clothed. She sighed in relief. He removed the finger from her lips and resumed stroking her hair.  
  
"Mmm... 'sit still snowing outside?" she asked, returning her face to his warm chest. He glanced up slightly.  
  
"I think it's done snowing, but it's banked halfway up the windows," he replied.  
  
"Hm. Guess we can't go anywhere, can we?" she said, her voice muffled by his haori. "You know, I rather like this."  
  
Miroku grinned and hugged her close before releasing her slightly. "A shame, really, to be trapped in such cold weather."  
  
"S'nice and warm here," she replied, smiling up at him. Miroku just laughed and resumed stroking her hair. She reached her right hand around the back of his head and returned the favor.  
  
"Mmm.. feels good," he almost purred, pushing against her hand slightly. She gave a throaty chuckle and scritched harder. He sighed in pleasure and went limp, only his hand still moving, stroking her hair. Carefully, so as not to pull his hair, she took out the band holding his small ponytail back. "Well, you are the bold one, aren't you?" he laughed. She ran her fingers through the soft stuff for a minute, then grinned at him.  
  
"I'll show you bold," she teased, taking her hand away and attacking him. Within a few moments he was in tears, crying for mercy, but Sango continued to tickle him relentlessly.  
  
"Oh yeah?" he gasped out between yelps. Taking his own initiative, he fought back bravely. Sango was just slightly more ticklish than he, it seemed. She squealed and tried to escape the tangled mass of blankets, managing to become easy prey. The monk was suddenly pounced upon by a tan and red blur that darted all around his waist, tickling like a pro. Miroku fell back, laughing for all he was worth, and Sango grinned at the kitsune.  
  
"Come on, Shippo, let's take him down, huh?" she said, grinning.  
  
"Yeahh!" Shippo cheered. He darted to Miroku's knees, and Sango sat down, straddling his chest and pinning his arms.  
  
"No fair! Two against one!" he protested.  
  
"I don't remember setting a no-teams rule, Miroku," she replied, grinning. "Now let's see where you're really ticklish!" He gulped in pretended fear, then smiled.  
  
"Do your worst, taijiya!" he challenged.  
  
"Oh I will, monk!" she retorted. She traced a line down the middle of his chest, snickering as he twitched and tried not to laugh. "Not there? Oh well. We'll just have to look elsewhere," she said in an all-too-light voice. Sliding further up his chest and bending over, she bored into his eyes from about three inches away. Miroku just grinned. "What's so funny, Miroku?" she asked, curious.  
  
"You've left yourself vulnerable," he replied. He lifted his head slowly, edging closer to her mouth...  
  
And pulled his arms up to tickle her sides. Caught off guard, she yelped and fell to the side. In a flash, they were reversed, and Miroku knelt over her, holding onto her wrists. "I think I'd prefer being on this side of the situation, don't you?" he asked quietly, grinning. He leaned down and kissed her gently, then drew back. They gazed into each others eyes for a moment...  
  
"Eeeww, mushy stuff!" Shippo said disgustedly, and stalked out of the room to find some breakfast. The spell broken, they both blushed and scuttled apart, looking anywhere but at each other. Eventually they made eye contact. Silence stretched interminably until..  
  
"Sango, I..." "Miroku.." they started at the same time, then laughed. "You first, Sango," Miroku said.  
  
"Age before beauty," she replied, smiling.  
  
"No, I insist, ladies first," he shot back, grinning.  
  
"Fine then. Um... well.." she said, then blushed. "I.. I liked it. The kiss, I mean. It.. yeah." She blushed again and looked away. Miroku's heart felt like it was about to leap out of his throat it was pounding so hard. He scooted to her side, pulling her chin gently to get her to face him. Sango kept her eyes down, her face still red.  
  
"Do you.. really mean that?" he asked, his heart nearly choking him. She nodded, and Miroku smiled, all his fears melting away like the snow on their clothes had. "Shall we try it again to make sure?" he asked, smiling gently. She looked up at him, and smiled.  
  
"I think I would like that very much," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him joyfully. He clasped her slender waist in his arms, deepening the kiss. Gently he licked her bottom lip, requesting entrance chastely. She opened up to him, and they were lost to everything outside their own world.  
  
"See? I told you they were being mushy," a small kitsune said scathingly, poking his head in the door. Kirara peeked around the corner, and she chitter-purred happily to see her mistress happy. The old woman merely smiled.  
  
"Come, now, let's get something for ye little ones to do, eh? We'll leave them to theirselves, though we doubt even an earthquake could shake them now," she said, shooing the two back into the hallway. They went off, and she closed the door softly. "They'll be a great couple, aye, truer than the sun and more loyal than any," she said to herself, grinning. "Funny that they should wear the same clothings we and our husband wore when we were engaged, aye, funny that..." Outside, the brilliant morning sunshine cheerfully spread its warmth, amplified by the crystalline snow. Two couples had come together this day and it was pleased.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
~*~End~*~  
(shall i continue? review and vote! i demand more feedback! bwahaha!)  
Japanese Terms (although they're mostly REALLY used ones you should know anyway)  
hentai = pervert  
taijiya = demon slayer  
houshi-sama = Sango's term for Miroku; means 'sir monk' (like to remind him of his place)  
arigato = thank you  
kami-sama = like a term for 'oh god!'  
-san = suffix for a respectful term for a person's name  
haori = the jacket that goes over a kimono (like Inu-yasha's)  
  
okay! dat's all! ^-^ hope you like it! 


End file.
